Raymond Felton's hard work pays off

Thursday, July 07, 2005

It's a typical morning for an NBA hopeful three weeks before the draft. Raymond Felton is sweating in the warmth of Chicago's Hoops the Gym running through shooting lines. Stop, pop a 3-pointer, then run to one side and back. Stop, pop another perimeter jumper, then run. Felton's blue Nike shirt gets dark and wet around his neck, then the stain creeps over his chest and stomach until the shirt is drenched. At lunchtime, when the on-court drills are done, Felton is not. He heads upstairs to the weight room for strength training. That is, more sweat. Felton pauses and notes, "Yeah, I'm a sweater. But that's what it takes to get where I want to go." (Sporting News)